SAN JOSE, CALIF. – A pipeline of more than $100 million worth of preconstruction and construction activity in Northern California – primarily made up of major retail renovation and repositioning projects – has prompted industry leader Graycor Construction Company to open a satellite office in San Jose.
The new office expands Graycor's Western U.S. presence, which is anchored by a Southwest Regional Headquarters located at 4600 E. Washington St., Suite 440, in Phoenix. The new headquarters is part of a strategic Southwest market expansion that focuses not only on industrial and tenant improvement clients, but also new office, retail and hospitality projects that maximize the value of Graycor's national platform. Most recently, this includes Graycor's participation as lead for the design-build construction of Camelback Collective, located within Phoenix's Camelback Corridor.
Through its new San Jose office, Graycor is managing projects including:
- Westfield Valley Fair (Westfield Corporation) in Santa Clara, where Graycor is building 110,000 square feet of new retail space as part of a major repositioning plan.
- The Great Mall(Simon Property Group) in Milpitas, where Graycor is performing the renovation of the largest indoor outlet mall in Northern California.
- Northridge Mall (Starwood Retail Partners) in Salinas, where Graycor is redeveloping 90,000 square feet of retail space, including a two-story Center Court atrium.
- Kerasotes ShowPlace ICON Theatresin Mountain View, Santa Clara and Laguna Beach
Each project employs Graycor’s “Live Environment” approach, a proprietary strategy that allows retailers to remain open during construction, maintaining cash flow and market presence in today’s demanding retail environment.
“Retail owners are under tremendous pressure to keep their properties updated as ‘destinations’ that offer the kind of personal experience that online shopping does not. Unfortunately, few – if any – owners have the luxury of closing during these renovations,” said Tim Hanifin, Vice President and General Manager of Graycor Construction Company. “Maintaining a safe, accessible, attractive and profitable retail center during construction is a complex task, but companies with the ability to deliver that outcome have an acute advantage in what has become a very competitive retail market.”
Dating back to the company’s inception more than 95 years ago, Graycor’s Live Environment work methodology is being applied at each of its Northern California retail renovation projects – all three of which are in high-density, high-demand locations:
“Live Environment boils down to asking the right questions early, ensuring that we understand the sophisticated needs and objectives of our clients, and identifying what needs to happen to exceed those expectations,” said Brian Feckler, Construction Manager for Graycor Construction Company. “What is the optimal time for work to be performed to minimize disruption? What housekeeping measures will maintain the highest level of safety and appeal at the facility? Are alternative walkways, custom fencing or other temporary changes needed to conceal construction staging? These are just some of the ways we encourage coordination and communication long before construction begins, so that we know what to purchase, schedule or execute as we pull off a seamless renovation. Our live environment approach has been successfully applied to a variety of project types including shopping centers, retail, hospitality and industrial.”
Graycor boasts a strong presence in California’s retail and hospitality markets, over the past 10 years completing construction projects such as the Chico Mall in Chico, Crate & Barrel stores at University Town Center in San Diego and Roseville, AMC Dine-in Theatre at Marina 6 in Marina Del Rey, San Francisco Marriott Marquis and Anaheim Marriott. In the industrial sector, Graycor has completed the ALDI Regional Headquarters and Distribution Center in Moreno Valley, FedEx Ground Sorting and Distribution Centers in Rialto and Fresno, Toyota NUMMI Facility in Fremont, and DDG 553, a 553,000-square-foot, three-building development in Fresno County.